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Tuesday, 8 May 2018

Rundle Street Gun Shop Siege – 1976

Rundle Street Gun Shop Siege – 1976

In mid-1974, Michael Hooke (sometimes known as Michael
O’Conner) spent a few months in Royal Park Mental Hospital in Melbourne from December
10 to December 21, 1973, and then from January 9 until March 16, 1974.

Later that year, he
decided that for his life to improve he needed to move to Adelaide, South
Australia.

In 1976, just after 11am on May 10th, the 43 old
O’Connor entered the Hambly-Clarke & Son Gun Shop at the eastern end of
Rundle Street. He picked up two shotguns from the counter, and began to load
them with his own ammunition.

O’Connor fired a shot inside the shop and ordered everyone
to leave. The staff and customers got out through the front door, with shop
owner, Mr Hambly Clark escaping through the back entrance.

The police arrived, the first response officer being unarmed
officer, Constable G.P. Marr, who tried to reason with O’Connor, only to have
two shots fired in his direction. The area was quickly cordoned off, and the
Armed Offenders Apprehension Group (a predecessor the today’s STAR Force)
arrived on scene.

The Armed Offenders Apprehension Group fired tear gas into
the shop to try and get O’Connor to leave. About 5 minutes later O’Connor
emerged from the shop brandishing two shotguns.
He was ordered to drop the guns, but
refused. Instead he fired off some random shots, then levelled his guns at near
by police officers.

A loud crack rang out in Rundle Street, O’Connor felt hot
steal penetrate his lower chest. Across the street in a furniture store window,
sat Det. Sr. Const. Ramsden, SAPOL’s best marksman, who had just taken the
order to shoot at will.

Police set upon O’Connor, and he was taken away to the Royal
Adelaide Hospital in an ambulance, only to die a short time later from a
haemorrhage in his upper stomach caused by the gunshot wound.

All photos remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are displayed here for the purpose of education, research and review under the copyright act "fair usage" clause.

Some photo's used here on this site are sourced from The Sate Library of South Australia, and The National Library of Australia and http://www.gawler.nowandthen.net.au - all photos are out of copyright and have no usage restrictions implied.

All photos remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are displayed here for the purpose of education, research and review under the copyright act "fair usage" clause.

Some photo's used on this website are sourced from The Sate Library of South Australia, and The National Library of Australia and http://www.gawler.nowandthen.net.au - all photos are out of copyright and have no usage restrictions implied.

Top Paranormal

PANDORA

On the 7-1-2013, The Haunts of Adelaide was added to The National Library of Australia's "Pandora" archive.http://pandora.nla.gov.au/